Great, yet another show to make the suburbs of America look even more
vapid and shallow than they already are. This one’s called
“Suburgatory”, set in the close-minded suburb of Chastwin, New York.

Why is it that people from the burbs get such a bad rep? Is it
jealousy, prestige or maybe just…tradition? Think about it: every
movie, show and song about the suburbs gives them a negative
connotation.  There’s Mean Girls, “Desperate Housewives” and Rebecca
Black’s “Friday”. Well, I guess “Friday” was just asking for it, but
in all seriousness, what is it about the suburbs that make them so
darn entertaining?

Now in its second season, “Suburgatory” starts out with the redheaded
teenager Tessa Altman (Jane Levy) moving from her beloved diverse city
home in Manhattan to less-than-hip suburbia. Her single father George
(Jeremy Sisto) insists on Tessa having the opportunities she’d
otherwise miss in the big city. So from here on out it’s white picket
fences and designer handbags for Tessa.
Although Tessa fails to find much diversity in her new carbon-copy
town, she does get a glimpse of two polar opposites living next door.
Her two neighbors Dalia Royce (Carly Chaiken), who never seem to wear
heels smaller than fives inches, and Sheila Shay are truly on opposite
ends of the spectrum.

Being the stubborn non-conformist that Tessa prides herself as, she
sees beyond the shiny exterior of airhead Dalia, and instantly the two
begin to butt heads.
However, Tessa is not the only one feeling left out of the loop. She
and her other neighbor Sheila bond over being the outcasts of
Chatswin. Unlike Dalia, Sheila is stuck in the shadows of her praised,
all-star jock brother and will do anything to be a part of the “in
crowd”.

While sitting down to watch the premiere, I wanted to laugh at how
inaccurate I thought the show would be. I was still a little annoyed
at the repetitive criticism of places I grew up in; I’ll be the first
to admit there are flaws in suburbia, but there are also definite
benefits that get swept under the rug.

I wanted to hate this show. I already hated this show. I tried to hate
this show, but the second that redheaded Tessa opened her mouth, I
couldn’t help but giggle.
Because of her sass and smart-aleck charm, I found myself eagerly
awaiting her next punch line.

Throughout the first season especially, Tessa allows her guard to come
down a bit. Whether it’s because of her first boyfriend or her
constant bond with her father little by little she lets more of her
true colors show. And although she’s as funny as can be, she’s not the
only star of “Suburgatory”.

Prissy-Miss Dalia Royce never ceases to make me laugh. Made up like a
pageant queen, she seems to be disgusted by everything and anything.
Her nasty comments and obnoxious facial expressions took the show to a
whole new level.

On top of that, I was amazed by how wrong I was about the plot. I was
able to relate every single thing that happened in Chatswin back to
something in the North Shore. Whether it was the huge gap between
cliché high school cliques, or (my personal favorite) the Suburban mom
living vicariously through her teenager’s life, “Suburgatory” said it
all. I almost felt like I was reading off of the NorthShorePrbms”
Twitter page.

I guess that’s why this show caught on so quickly. I’d like to think
it was from the incredible cast, but unfortunately it’s not.
“Suburgatory” is such a hit with suburban teens because it’s
relatable. Although I have grown to love suburbia, it’s not a crime to
laugh at our own faults sometimes.